Apparatus for making boxes and box covers



Oct. 11, 1938. M. MEDNICK ET AL APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOXES AND BOX COVERS Filed Nov. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l .II /I/II/IlI/I/II/I/I/IIIIII/IIIII/IIII/l/IIIlIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIhIII/II1.k fl

lNVENTOR ORNEY Oct. 11, 1938. M. MEDNICK ET AL APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOXES AND BOX COVERS Filed Nov. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 z 7 33 5M3 0 l I 1 l I I gai wi i Ema, W

III/I111!IIIIIIIIIIIIII@ IIII/(IIII Ad I n Patented Oct. 11, 1938 APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOXES BOX COVERS Marry Med nick, Brook l'y n, N.;Y., amnesia,

South Norwalk, Colin. 7

Application November 9 d cl airn s.

This invention relatesto animprovement inan apparatus for making boxes and/or box covers" and has for its object the provision of efficientmans which will fold the box or-box cover blank to bring the several flap portions thereon-into proper contact and causesaid-portions -to be adhesively united toform the box or boxc'over:

A further object ofthe invention is to provide plunger means which will force-the box-or box cover blank into the folding box of the -machine tobring the box or box cover blank, with its fiapportions upturned, torest on the stopmeans of the folding box; then intu'rnendfla-p portions on the blank and seal them in position on the inside of the box or boxcover to complete :the box or cover, and then eject the completed box or cover from the machine.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a plunger having abody portion or head carrying a lower, spring-pressed face plate In operation, said face plate forces the blank downwardly within the folding box to cause the flap portions on the box to assume an up standing position. When the blank reaches stop .means. at the lower end of the folding box, the" body portion of the plunger continues its descent, moving relatively to the plate, and acts as atucker to infold portions of the end flaps on; the blank and seal them in position-at the ends of'the box or box cover-thus formed; ThG'bQX"OI''bOX cover, thus completed, is ejected from the folding box. The invention'a-lso contemplates the inclusion of 7 other elements'co-operating in -the formation of' thecompleted box or box cover, as 'will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof, Fig. 1 is a plan view with parts-insection, of a folding box showing a box or box cover blank in position. thereover and the plunger ready to force the same in the folding'box: Fig.2 is a: vertical sectional viewof the structureof Fig. 1-; Fig. 3 is a plan'view of the blank from-which the box'or box cover is produced; Fig. 4 is as'ectional view on the line .44 of Fig. 5, looking'inthe'die rection'of the arrows; and Figs..5, 6and17'are sectional views similar to Fig. 2,.and successively showing the blank being; thrust into'the ifoldin'g;

box, the down-tucking of'the underflaps by the head of the plunger and the-ejection of the com-,. pleted box or box cover out of the folding box}! The box or box cover produced by the improved apparatus, isformed from the single cardboard blank A, shown in Fig. 3. The blank thereshown has a-body portion L: and longitudinally extending: side flaps 2 and: 3, separated from the body I937;- seen: No; 1 73,554"

Q i-.',9.3J 1 :.f I

portion by the score lines 4'. The opposite ends of the blank have the end-fiapsi separated from the body 'p'ortion 'l by the score lines-5, said flaps 6 being longitudinally scored asat I- to form end portions or tongues-8 adfacentto their outer ends. The ends of the side flaps 2 and 3' are scored asat- 3'9 tothereby provide thetongues '9 which are tapered toward their extremities to "facilitate thei-r being inturnedor tucked into'position, as

will-behereinafter explained.

Irithe machine blanks A of the character shown i'n Fig.--3 are disposed in a stack and gumming means descends and applies an adhesive to the opposite end portions or flaps 6 and 8 of the blank, as indicated at 'III' in Figs 3. The blank thus gummedis lifted from thestack and received by reciprocating-f 'conveyor elements; 24, which carry it, with its gummed'surfaces uppermost, to a position over a folding box into which it is thrust by meansof the plunger 13. The folding box has-its-longitudinal sides composed "of a series of coope'rating spaced plates l5-; provided with lat'eral extensions or supports l6, having el'o'ngated slots 41,- engaged by the bolts [8, pass-- ing thioughfthe'slots l9 formed in the frame portion 20 or the machine. Through the arrangementdescribedplates [5 may be adjusted relatively'to one-another atany desired position to regulate the sizeandshape of the opposite side walls of the folding box; The end walls of the folding-box are shown at 2| and Hand arms 23' extend from'said walls to suitable mechanism by whichthe-oppsite walls 2| and 22 are moved toward and-away -from oneanother for a purpose to be' hereinafter described] 'ine upper endsof thejend walls 2| and -2'2-- are recessed'td receive the reciprocating blank conveyo'r member's 24 which carry the blank A to a positibn "above the folding box, as indicated an- Fig'sl l and 2; Blank A, when-in such' position, is lo'cated in readinessto be thrust downwardly into itheffoldihg-box,"'defined-by the plates l5 at opposite sides of the box and by the walls 2! and 22-10 opposite endsof the box. v

"The plunger 13 which performs this operation is p'rovidedwith a central boss 25 secured to the lower end portion of a vertical shaft-26 by means of theset' screw'21; The plungeris vertically recipnocatedbymean's: of the usual plunger-actuating mechanism. found :in box-making machines in this art. Said plunger includes a head 28- shown in the form ,of'a frame substantially corresponding in shap'e'to-the bodyportionll of the. blank shown in Fig;'3:. The walls of the head 28 are integrally" connected to. the'boss 25 by. means plunger normally in spaced relationship as indicated in Fig. 2. Recoil springs 36 surround the rods 33above the guides 32 and have their upper ends operatively bearing against the nuts 31 threaded on the ends of the rods.

In Figs. ,1 and 2 blank A is shown in position over the folding box in readiness to be forced downwardly therein and the'plunger I 3 is: about to begin its descent. As the plunger descends, the under face of its face plate 34 strikes the blank A within-the outlines of the body portion I thereof as defined by the score lines 4 and 5, and

forces the blank downwardly into the folding box. At the beginning of the' descent of'the blank into the folding. box, projections or heads 38 formed on four of the plates l5 at each corner of the folding box, contact with the tongues 9 and fold themhiwardly on the score lines 39 to bring them against the inner gummed faces of the end,

flaps 6. The position of these tongues when fully infolded, is shown in Fig. 4. The plates l5 forming the opposite side walls of the folding box cause'the said flaps 2 and 3 on the blank to be folded on the score lines 4 to thus assume the upstanding position, as shown in Fig. 4. Similarly, the end walls 2| and 22- of the folding box cause end flaps 6 to assume a like upstanding position, substantially as shown in Fig. 5. The blank-is'forced' downwardly within the folding boxby'the plunger face plate 34 until it is brought to rest upon stop members 40 which are movable toward and away from one another through the end walls 2| and 22 by suitablemechanism, a

7 portion of which consists of the rocking fingers shown at 4|. When the plungeris descending into the folding box and forcing a blank downwardiy therein, the stop members 40 are in their extended positionv as shown in Fig. 5 and the blank'is brought to restthereon. end walls 2| and 22 are now movedtoward' one, another and each of these walls carries a projection 42 on its inner face which has its lower front edge brought into contact with the end portions '8 onthe end fiaps 6 upon movement of the walls 2| and 22 toward one another, as shown in Fig.5, causing saidflapv portions 8 to bebent or inclined inwardly on the score.lines the beginning of this movement being shown in Fig. 5. The vertical shaft 26 of the plunger continuing its descent,-"moves the head 28 of the plunger downwardly'against the pressure of springs 35 and said head, on its descent, contacts with the pro- 7 jecting' end portions 8 of end flap 6, and downturns said portions 8 causing them to extend over or enclose the tongues 9. As the inner faces of the portions 8 are coated with 'an' adhesive, they will adhere'to the inner faces of the tongues 9 and also to the central portions of the inner face of: the flap 6, thereby providing end walls on the box orbox cover of extremely rigid and stury construction'.

The plunger at 'the'limit of its descent, is shown in Fig. 6. order to permitthe head 28 of the plunger to'el'ear'the projections 42 on the end walls 2| and 22,"recesses 44 are formed in the thereby causing the completed box or box cover to be ejected downwardly and out of the open bottom of the folding box. This action of the springs provides a positive ejection of each completed box or box cover so that the possibility of a blank becoming inadvertently lodged in the folding box and causing subsequent blanks to pile up and clog the box and damage the mechanism is completely avoided.

, The completed box'is shown in section in Fig. 7 and it will be'seen that the end walls are of extreme sturdiness enabling the box or box cover to withstand rough handling and considerable abuse before the walls of the same will break down.

It will be obvious that the structure'may be modified to accomodate boxes and box covers of various forms and shapes, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim is: I

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a. folding box, a plunger for forcing a box or box cover blank within said folding box to cause flap portions on the blank to be uptnrned, with end flaps on said blank extending above the side flaps thereon, the plunger having a head portion, a plate portion located below the head portion and normaiiy held spaced therefrom, means for suspending said plate portion fromthe'head portion, springs interposed between the plate portion and head portion, and means located within the foldingbox and comprising fixed elements ontwo of the walls thereof for moving parts of the end flaps on the blank inwardly after the blank has reached a predetermined point in its descent in the folding box to thereby locate said parts of the end flaps in the path of descentof the head of the plunger as the head thereon is moved downwardly within the folding box relatively to the plate and against the tension of said springs.

" 2. In an apparatus of the character-described,

a folding box, a plunger mounted over and adapted. to be-moved into the folding box to force a. blank downwardly within saidfolding box, movable stop means at the lower end of the folding box for limiting the descent of the blank therein, said plunger having an upper head portion carrying a resiliently mounted lower face portion, said face portion. beingadapted to move the blank downinto the folding box upon descent of the plunger and into contact with the stop means, the folding box having movable walls, fixed projections on said 'walls for inwardly inclining certainflap portions on the blank upon inward movement of said walls to bring said flap portions in thepath of descent of the head portion of the plunger whereby saidhead portion will, upon its descent, downturn said inwardly inclined flap portions.

I 3. In an apparatus of the character described, a folding box, a'plunger for forcing a box or box cover blankformed with flaps into said folding box, movable stops at the lower end of the folding box for limiting the descent of the blank,

movable walls on the folding box, fixed projections located on said walls and carried thereby for bending end portions of at least some of the flaps on the blank inwardly when said movable walls are moved toward one another, the plunger having a face portion for holding the blank down on the stops and having a head portion movable relatively to said face portion after the blank has reached a position of halt on the stops, said face portion engaging and downturning the inwardly bent portions of the flaps as it moves downwardly relatively to the face portion.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a folding box including a pair of side walls movable toward and away from one another, a plunger for forcing a box or box cover blank within the folding box to cause the walls of the box including the two movable walls thereof to upturn flap portions on the blank, each of the movable walls including a fixed projection on the inside face of the wall for contacting with a portion of the upturned flaps on the blank when the walls are moved toward one another to inof the flap on which it is formed.

I bend said part of the flap at an angle to the rest 10 

